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Jesus uses the image of a vine and branches to describe how spiritual fruit develops. Individual branches don't produce fruit through their own effort—they produce fruit by staying connected to the vine. When the life of the vine flows through the branches, fruit develops naturally.

Real fruit trees go through seasons. In spring, they bloom with beautiful flowers. In summer, they're full of green leaves. In fall, they produce fruit. In winter, they look bare and lifeless. But a healthy tree survives all these seasons and continues to produce fruit year after year.

When Samuel was looking for Israel's next king, he was impressed by the tall, handsome candidates. But God reminded him that divine evaluation works differently from human assessment. God looks at the heart, not the external appearance. The same principle applies when we're measuring spiritual health—God cares more about our character than our performance.

Paul could have written, "the fruits of the Spirit," but he didn't. He wrote "the fruit of the Spirit"—singular. This isn't a list of separate characteristics we pick and choose from, like items on a spiritual menu. It's a description of one fruit, just like we might describe an apple as red, juicy, sweet, and crisp.

Jesus gives us a different way to measure health: look at the fruit. Just like you can't judge a tree by how tall it is or how impressive it looks, you can't judge a church—or a Christian—by external appearances. A healthy tree produces good fruit. An unhealthy tree doesn't. It's that simple.

Many church tend to measure success by attendance, budgets, and buildings. But do those numbers really tell us how well a church is following Jesus? What if instead of asking "Is our church successful?" we started asking "Is our church healthy?" Jesus gives us a completely different way to measure what truly counts.

This is the work of the church in its fullest expression. It's not something we do for a few hours on Sunday morning—it's a way of living that encompasses every aspect of our lives. When we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and when we love our neighbors as ourselves, we become living demonstrations of what God's kingdom looks like.

The work of the church includes loving the unlovable, forgiving the unforgivable, and showing grace to the ungracious. This isn't easy work, but it's transformative work—both for us and for the people we encounter.

The work of the church doesn't just happen during special ministry events or on mission trips. It happens in the most ordinary moments of our lives—in conversations with coworkers, interactions with cashiers, responses to family members, and reactions to daily frustrations.

Love isn't about having warm feelings toward everyone—it's about choosing to treat people this way regardless of how we feel about them or how they treat us.

The church does so many different things that it can feel overwhelming to define what we're actually supposed to be doing. But what if Jesus boiled down all our responsibilities as his followers into just two simple commands that cover every situation we'll ever face? In this sermon, we'll rethink what the work of the church really is.

Jesus's answer to the questions, "What is the greatest commandment?" is simple enough for a child to understand, but comprehensive enough to guide us through every situation we'll ever face. We don't need a theology degree to know what the work of the church is. We don't need to memorize hundreds of rules or study complex doctrines. We just need to love God and love each other.

Some of the most important ministry happens behind the scenes, in one-on-one conversations, in acts of service that no one else notices, in prayers that no one else hears. These ministries aren't less important because they're less visible—they're the supporting ligaments that hold the whole body together.

You don't need a seminary degree to have a ministry that matters. You don't need to be a professional speaker to share your faith effectively. You don't need to have your life completely figured out to help someone else who's struggling. What you need is a real relationship with Jesus and the willingness to let that relationship transform how you live and serve.

The goal isn't to have a few highly trained professionals doing excellent ministry while everyone else watches. The goal is to have an entire community of believers who are equipped, encouraged, and empowered to do ministry wherever God has placed them.

if you're a Christian, then you're a saint. Not because you're perfect, not because you've achieved some special spiritual status, but because God has set you apart to be like Jesus in this world.

A lot of people seem to think the "real" ministry of the church is done by pastors and church staff while everyone else just fills the pews. But what if that's backwards? But what if every single Christian, including you, is actually called to do the work of the church, not just watch it happen? In this sermon, we'll rethink who does the work of the church.

You don't need a seminary degree to comfort someone who's grieving. You don't need to be a biblical scholar to invite a neighbor to church. You don't need formal ministry training to help someone who's struggling financially or to encourage a friend who's going through a difficult time.

Real worship integrates our love for God with our love for people. It connects our Sunday singing with our Monday serving. It links our prayers in church with our actions in the community. When our worship becomes authentic, it transforms not just our church services but our entire approach to life.

The walls of our church building aren't barriers—they're launching pads. We gather here to be equipped, encouraged, and empowered. Then we scatter into our communities as God's representatives, carrying his presence wherever we go.